Bangladesh Environment,

Associated Problems &

Sustainability
 Introduction
 The environmental problems of Bangladesh are
becoming acute because of population explosion, lack
of adequate forest areas and nearly complete
absence of any controlling measure on the part of
industry, natural resource utilizations, etc.
 Bangladesh has great importance for its exceptional
hydro-geographical setting. Three mighty rivers, the
Padma, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna drain a
total catchment area of about 1.5 million sq km, of
which only 8 percent of the drainage area lies within
Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh has been formed over tens of thousands
of years, composing a very thick layer of sedimentary
deposition.
 State of environment
The following aspects made Bangladesh significant
from the environmental point of view:

 Bangladesh is one of the largest deltas in the world

and is criss-crossed by numerous rivers, their
tributaries and distributaries;

 The country is characterized by very low general

relief composed of very thick sedimentary
deposition;

 Bangladesh has the world's largest mangrove forest

and the longest sandy beach in the world;
 State of environment …..
 the highest population density in the world and a
very high demand on natural resources;

 vast variations in amount of surface water availability

between wet and dry seasons;

 the rate of water flow through Bangladesh is

enormous.

The above-mentioned characteristics of Bangladesh

make the country vulnerable to natural disasters as
well as environmental hazards.
 Physical environment
 Climate:

 Bangladesh's climate is a tropical monsoon climate

characterized by marked seasonal variations;

 Abundant rainfall during the monsoon (July-

October) is followed by a cool winter period
(November-February), then a hot, dry summer
(March-June);

 In the hot season, the average maximum

temperature is 34°C and the average minimum is
21°C. Average maximum temperature in winter is
29°C and the minimum is 11°C;
 Physical environment……
 The rainfall in the region shows great temporal and
spatial variations;

 Annual rates of precipitation vary from a low of 40 to

80 inches (1,000 to 2,000 mm) in the western
lowlands to more than 150 inches in the Sylhet Hills in
the northeast;

 Seventy to eighty percent of the annual rainfall occurs

in the monsoon season.

 The heaviest rainfall is largely over the upper

catchment area, particularly in the Indian states of
Meghalaya and Assam and over Northeast
Bangladesh.
 Hydrology

 Bangladesh is characterised by an exceptional hydro-

geographical setting;

 Three major rivers, the Padma, the Brahmaputra and

the Meghna, drain a catchment extending over
Bhutan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and China (Tibet);

 The total area of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna

drainage basin is about 1.5 million sq km of which
approximately 62 percent is in India, 18 percent in
China, 8 percent in Nepal, 4 percent in Bhutan and 8
percent in Bangladesh;
 Hydrology
 There are over 250 large rivers in Bangladesh;

 The major rivers can be classified as either 'unstable'

such as the Meghna or 'very unstable' such as the
Padma and jamuna; This implies that water and
flooding are major factors of consideration in the
development of Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh is prone to three main types of
flooding:

 Flash floods result from heavy rainfall from upstream and

create a flood wave along a river. Riverbank erosion, loss of
land and severe crop damage are common problems during
these events;

 Monsoon floods are due to heavy continuous rainfall on

impounded or poorly draining areas where precipitation
exceeds infiltration. These are annual, expected events upon
which the agriculture of the country has traditionally
depended for the replenishment of the soil and for the water
required for wet rice and jute cultivation;

 Cyclonic floods are the most serious of the flooding

events. It can cause serious disasters and occur mainly in
the coastal regions.
 Biological Environment
Forest resources
 In the past three decades, the stock of forest trees
has declined at an alarming rate.

 It is estimated that the forest cover has been

reduced more than 50 percent since the 1970s.

 Most of the shalbons have now become extinct.

Sundarbans are under threat. The hilly areas of
Chittagong and Sylhet districts are also getting
denudation of forests. Bangladesh is now well
below the required minimum of 25 percent of land
to be under forest.
On the basis of location characteristics, forests can be
classified under three types:

(i) Hill forests, covering an area of 1.15 million acres;

(ii) Mangrove forests, consisting of 1.45 million acres of

natural mangroves (sundarbans) and 2,50,000 acres
of artificially raised mangrove plantations in the
coastal belts and offshore islands for flood protection;

(iii) Plain land sal forests, covering about 3,00,000

acres in Gazipur, Sherpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi,
Rangpur and Dinajpur district.
Deforestation
Definition

large areas of land are logged

Problems

 flooding
 landslides and mudslides can occur
 topsoil is washed away
 trees are also an important component of the water
cycle
 forests home to a large number of plants & animals
 Wetlands
 Bangladesh has an enormous area of seasonal
wetland;

 The area under perennial wetlands is much smaller

and is principally permanent rivers and streams,
shallow freshwater lakes and marshes (haors, baods,
and beels), fish ponds and estuarine systems in the
extensive mangrove swamps;

 Both perennial and seasonal wetlands provide

habitats to a large variety of flora and fauna;
 Wetlands…
 Loss of wetlands is causing temperature imbalance
and general ecological deterioration. It is also
aggravating flood;

 Numerous wetland plants are harvested for use as

medicines, food, fodder and building materials;

 Unfortunately the wetland habitats are under constant

threat from human encroachment and flood control
and irrigation schemes.
 Biodiversity
 Bangladesh possesses rich biodiversity, especially in
the forested and wetland areas. Approximately 5,000
species of flowering plants are found in Bangladesh;
 The country has 266 inland and 442 marine fishes, 22
amphibians, 109 inland and 17 marine reptiles, 388
resident and 240 migratory birds, 110 inland and 3
marine mammals;
 Some species have been identified as threatened. Of
the known vertebrates, 13 have already become
extinct from Bangladesh territory;
 Of the inland fish species 54 are threatened. The
number of threatened amphibians, inland reptiles,
resident birds, and inland mammals are 8, 58, 41, and
40 respectively.
 The loss of plant diversity has not yet been studied
and documented in detail. Some individual studies
have been carried out to identify threatened plant
species and it was found that about 100 vascular
plants are threatened.
 With loss of wetlands and forests, Bangladesh is
gradually losing its flora and fauna. Many aquatic and
territorial species are becoming rare; some have
already become extinct.

The main reasons for biodiversity loss

 Disruption of wetland habitats through encroachment and
destruction of fauna migration paths;
 Human encroachment on forest lands for agricultural,
settlement and commercial purposes;
 Indiscriminate felling of trees for fuel and construction
resulting in a reduction of tree cover areas and habitats;
 The main reasons for biodiversity loss….

 Over-exploitation of particular resources such as

medicinal plants, bamboo and cane leading to loss
of protective habitat;

 Over-exploitation of wildlife;

 Monoculture of (HYVs) or less diversified cropping

leading to agrochemical build-up;

 Destruction of mangrove forests; and

 Shifting (slash and burn) agriculture.

Socio-economic environment
Population

Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in

the world. At present, the population is increasing at
around 1.96% per year.

Land use

Land use Due to the high population density and

influence of agriculture based livelihood, pressure on
the country's limited land is tremendous.

People are even living and using the land in the very
low-lying coastal areas that are much exposed to
cyclones and storm surges.
 Environmental pollution
 Pollution broadly means disruption of man's own
environment and refers primarily to the fouling of air,
water, and soil by wastes or harmful materials. More
people means more consumption, and therefore more
pollution;

 There can be air pollution, water pollution, and soil

pollution. The pollution from solid wastes is a major
problem in Bangladesh;

 There are about 1000 small and large industries in

Dhaka city producing a large amount of toxic and
hazardous wastes contributing significantly to
environmental degradation.
Environmental pollution…..

 In the Hazaribag area of Dhaka there are 149

tannery units daily producing about 18,000 litres of
liquid wastes and 115 m tons of solid wastes; nearly
all of these are dumped in the buriganga river;
 The unplanned shrimp cultivation in the coastal belt
of Bangladesh has increased the salinity in the soil,
which has lost its natural productivity. Nothing
grows in a large area surrounding these places.
 Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide
is resulting in chemical runoff to the surface water
bodies. This is causing serious damage to country’s
fresh water fish stock.
 Industrial pollution

 Industrial enterprises are often discharging their toxic

and other harmful solid and fluid waste in untreated
form into neighboring areas and water bodies.
Similarly, hospitals and clinics are often disposing
indiscriminately their harmful clinical waste;

 While strong industrial sector growth is beneficial in

terms of employment and income, it also adds to
environmental degradation.
 Industrial pollution…..

 The six environmental hot-spot districts are: Dhaka,

Gazipur, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Khulna, and Bogra;
 These districts contribute more than 50% of the
national pollution load;

 The 12 highest polluting industrial subsectors

contribute more than 85% for three of the pollutants:
 1. toxic chemicals to land,

 2. toxic metals to water, and

 3. SO2
 Air pollution

In Bangladesh, apart from fossil fuel combustion, the

other sources of air pollution are the brick kilns,
fertilizer factories, sugar, paper, jute and textile mills,
spinning mills, tanneries, garment, etc.;
 Indoor air pollution can be five to ten times more
harmful than that of the dirtiest air outside.

Household Waste
 In urban areas, disposal of household waste has
become a serious problem. This problem is being
aggravated by indiscriminate and increasing use of
plastic materials.
 Noise pollution
 The decibel level and duration of noise in many parts
of the cities are becoming unbearable. Many vehicles
still use hydraulic horns. This is seriously affecting
work condition and health of the people;

 The incidence of noise pollution in Bangladesh is

becoming a problem of far-reaching consequences;

 Noises are measured in units called decibels. Decibels

may have a range from 1 to 160; 1-60 decibels being
the acceptable level; 60-100 level is regarded as
annoying, and 100-160 level may cause damage to
hearing.
 Radiation pollution
 A kind of invisible pollutant, radiation can cause
serious harm to people;
 The source of radiation is the sun and outer space,
from where it reaches the earth;
 Most of the effects of radiation are due to
radioactive materials-especially from the
fallout of nuclear weapons (radioactive dust),
nuclear power plants and various electronic devices.;
 Among these laser ray, x-ray machine, coloured
television set, microwave oven are worth
mentioning.
 Radiation pollution
 The damaging effects of radiation is best seen in
regard to cell development. If the cell dies or gets well
by itself then there are no ill effects later on, but a
damaged cell at a later stage can become cancerous;
 The problem of the disposal of radioactive wastes has
caused serious concern throughout the world;
 There are instances of radioactive wastes being
thrown into the deep sea;
 Pollution caused by harnessing nuclear energy has
aroused anxiety all over the world and there is a need
for mobilizing public opinion against the use of nuclear
power in order to ensure the safety of human beings
and animals at large.
 Soil pollution
 Soil exists in a thin layer of the earth's crust;
 Natural processes take many years for a soil to be
formed for agricultural use;
 Apart from the loss in terms of soil productivity, soil
erosion has been one of the major factors generating
pollution;
 Soil erosion is the wearing away of soil. Thus a
qualitative change in the soil is brought about by
erosion, which affects the binding of the soil, making
it loose and fragile;
 Floods also remove soils from one place to another,
thus bringing in qualitative change in soil structure.
 Soil pollution….
 the processes of erosion and removal of soil
gradually make soils infertile, disrupting the natural
ecosystem of the area as well;

 Unplanned, uncoordinated land use and agricultural

methods are the causes of environmental
degradation;

 Fertilisers provide extra doses of nutrition to the soil

and help raise productivity. But use of a large
amount of fertiliser decreases the ability of bacteria
to break down humus into various nutrients in the
normal process;
 Water pollution
 Any undesirable and harmful change in the quality of
water is referred as water pollution;
 Water pollutants come from the wastes of homes,
industries, agricultural farms, and wastes from
human beings and livestock;
 Industrial acids, pesticides, oil, and different types of
toxic materials may destroy aquatic plants and
animals;
 Phosphates, chemical fertilisers, detergents, and
animal manure pollute the water system by supplying
excess nutrients for aquatic life resulting in the
pollution known as 'eutrophication'.
 Water pollution…..

 Industrial and municipal wastes pollute Bangladesh

rivers and water sources;

 The water of the Buriganga river of Dhaka is being

polluted by 53 industries of Postogola and Fatullah,
and 151 tanneries of Hazaribag;

 Apart from the wastes of industries in towns, the river

Padma is also polluted by upstream wastewater from
the Ganges;
 Water pollution….
 Increased use of groundwater aquifers and their
non-adequate replenishment has caused the ground
water level to go Down;

 Bangladesh and West Bengal, India are facing a

serious problem of water pollution from the metal
Arsenic..

 It is believed that when the cumulative effect of slow

poisoning will pass the critical level, Bangladesh will
face a major calamity.
Areas of environmental concern
1. Coastal environment
The coastal zone of Bangladesh has been vulnerable to
both physical and cultural intervention, surviving as
an area of much environmental concern;

The high upland discharge with a heavy sediment load,

severe tidal activity at the head of the Bay of Bengal,
piling up of water at the coast during monsoon are
some of the extreme conditions including rapid
morphological instability of the area.

Besides, the coastal zone is the home of the world's

largest ecosystem, the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
 2. Over harvesting

Definition

Removal of plants or animals to the point that it is

challenging to maintain viable population level

Problems

 imbalance in the food chain;

 Extinction of species.
 3. Sustainable Consumption
 Sustainable consumption builds on the concept of
sustainable development, which was defined by the
Brundtland Commission in 1987 as “development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs”.
 Consequently, the core idea of sustainable
consumption is to meet our own consumption needs
in such a way that we do not deprive future
generations’ ability to meet their consumption needs.
 It is important to understand that sustainable
consumption does not automatically translate into
“less consumption” but rather to more efficient, better
informed and less resource intensive consumption.
 3. Sustainable Consumption….

 This is especially true for people living in poverty,

often having a real need to increase there
consumption of products and services.

 Sustainable consumption is directly linked with many

other development priorities, such as

 poverty alleviation, economic growth, health and

education, and environmental protection,

All of the above contributing to an improved quality

of life.
4. Salinity problem of Southwestern
region
 The combined flow of the Padma, Brahmaputra and
Meghna rivers transports fresh water to the coastal
area through several estuaries;

 The salinity situation is aggravated by the fact that a

salinity front of more than 500 micromhos intrudes
nearly 160 km inland during the dry season;

 In particular the salinity-affected areas have been

Satkhira, Khulna, Jessore, Narail, Bagerhat and
Gopalganj.
 5. The Sundarbans
 The area stretching over 0.57 million ha in the
southern districts of Bangladesh, namely Khulna,
Satkhira and Bagerhat, is the largest mangrove forest
ecosystem of the world;
 Out of the total area, nearly 0.17 million ha is
occupied by rivers, channels and other watercourses;
 Some decades back mangrove forests were abundant
all along the coastline, especially in Cox's Bazar,
Chittagong, Patuakhali and Khulna districts;
 According to one estimate a little over 1.5 m acres of
mangrove forest, mainly in the Sundarbans, are in
existence;
 5. The Sundarbans….

 Although the size of the Sundarbans mangrove forest

has been reduced greatly from their former extent
owing largely to shrimp cultivation, salt production
and subsistence agriculture, it still remains the largest
single tract of mangrove ecosystem in the world;
 A significant ecological change is taking place in the
Sundarbans because of anthropogenic activities;
 Changes in land use has brought about changes in
biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles leading to a
change in the weather pattern as a whole;
 In the interest of mankind, and especially for
preserving environmental quality, the Sundarbans has
received recognition of world heritage site.
6. Shrimp cultivation
 It has posed a grave environmental problem in the
coastal area;
 The cultivation of shrimp requires the holding of at
least 8-9 months of stagnant saline water every
year;
 The deliberate inundation of coastal polders to
facilitate the production of brackish-water shrimp has
brought a new dimension in the land use pattern;
 The agricultural land has lost to shrimp ponds and
wet season rice yields have declined progressively as
salinity and soil changes have taken their toll on land
fertility.
 7. Chakaria Sundarbans
 Its mangrove forest ecosystem is unique in the coastal
area and covers a vast coastal area of Bangladesh.
Before the turn of the 20th century most of the
northern part of the Sundarbans area was cleared for
habitation and other economic uses;

 Today virtually all of the mangrove forests in the

vicinity of the Chittagong Chakaria and the Naf river
have been cleared for shrimp farming, salt production
and agriculture.
Natural Mangroves Degraded Mangroves
 10. Marine pollution

 The sources of marine pollution are urban industrial

effluents and river run-off including oil spills in the
vicinity of the two major ports of Bangladesh, namely
Chittagong and Mongla;

 The average oil spill effect has caused such a severe

water quality problem that it has affected the
multiplication of phyto- and zooplankton, and
breeding grounds of shrimp and prawn fishery;

 The Sunderbans mangrove forest is also affected as

much by marine and industrial pollution as by salt
water flooding.
 11. River erosion and siltation

 Riverbank erosion is one of the major environmental

hazards in Bangladesh (July-September);

 Agricultural land, human settlements, markets and towns

are just as much vulnerable as the environment itself;

 Although river erosion is observed in almost all the areas

of Bangladesh, their effect on bank erosion is most
noticeable in the Padma and the Jamuna rivers;

 Riverbank erosion has been endemic in Bangladesh in

recent years, with almost a million people being adversely
affected by the process, directly or indirectly, leading to an
economic loss of more than US $ 40 million annually.
According to the Riverbank Erosion
Bangladesh Water
Development Board data
(1984-85), among the
major 16 rivers, river
bank erosion has been
observed in 254 places
and in many places the
process at work is
dangerously threatening
the existence of a
number of old towns and
cities.
 12. Global Warming

Definition

Increase in the temperatures of the earth due to release

of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane
from industries and vehicles.

Problems

 Glacier melting causes flooding to the low lying areas

including Bangladesh, parts of Africa and even major
cities like London and New York;

 changing weather patterns around the world.

 Environment and Development

 Environment is inseparably linked with development.

In the context of recent realization of this aspect, it is
seriously felt that the striving for achieving economic
prosperity be commensurate with the deliberate
efforts in keeping environmental and ecological
balance.

 Belatedly it is now appreciated that the environmental

problem is also an economic issue indeed. For these
reasons, there is no scope to visualise economic and
environmental activities in isolation. An integrated
approach is, therefore needed for the sake of efficient
management of environmental resources.
 The Necessity for Policy Intervention

There are several factors that make Bangladesh

particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation:

 The fragile ecology, delicate flora and fauna,

wetness of land, high density of population, reliance
on foreign capital for industrialization, poverty of
the masses are few such factors;

 Sometimes it is argued that a low-income country

such as Bangladesh does not have the luxury to worry
about environmental quality;
 The Necessity for Policy Intervention…..

 The relationship between environmental quality and

income level has been found to vary widely across
regions and across pollutants;

 This indicates that even for the same level of income

the pollution level can vary depending on the policies
pursued;
 The Necessity for Policy Intervention….
 Some allude to the so-called Environmental Kuznets’
Curve (EKC) to argue that developing countries
should concentrate on achieving fast economic
growth and not worry about environment because
economic growth will automatically take care of
environmental problems;

 However, recent research has shown that EKC is

largely a myth;

 There is no universal rule that pollution has to first

increase with economic growth before decreasing;
 The Necessity for Policy Intervention…..

 The relationship between environmental quality and

income level has been found to vary widely across
regions and across pollutants;

 This indicates that even for the same level of income

the pollution level can vary depending on the policies
pursued;

 There are countries (such as Nigeria) whose

environment has suffered terribly because of the way
economic growth was pursued. On the other hand,
there are countries (such as Costa Rica) that have
achieved remarkable economic success without
damaging the environment;
 The Necessity for Policy Intervention…..

 Costa Rica’s experience clearly testifies that the goals

of economic growth and environmental protection can
be complementary rather than being contradictory.

 In fact, economic growth may actually suffers as a

result of environmental degradation. An example is
provided by the situation of Dhaka city;

 Poisonous air, uncollected garbage, lack of open

space, dying and polluted water bodies, congestion,
noise, traffic jam are all making life in Bangladesh’s
capital increasingly difficult;
 The Necessity for Policy Intervention…..

 Poors are the worst victims of environmental

degradation (arsenic, air pollution, sanitation, sub-
human life in urban slums, etc.);

 Thus protection of environment is necessary even to

ensure social justice;

 To ensure both economic growth and social justice,

Bangladesh has to give priority to environmental
protection.
 The Necessity for a Social Movement
 Solution to environment problems does not always
require costly projects, which in Bangladesh tend to
be donor-financed;

 Sometimes correct policies with proper

implementation are what is needed;

 However, such policies will not always be adopted and

properly implemented unless there is a social pressure
to do so;

 The improvements of environmental quality in the

developed countries did not come about automatically.
Numerous citizens’ groups and organizations had to
work hard to bring about these changes;
 The Necessity for a Social Movement…..

 The professional and trade organizations have to take

up the environment issue;

 Literary and cultural organizations, which represent

the most sensitive sections of the society, have to get
involved with environment;

 Educational institutions and students have to assume

a leading role;
 The Necessity for a Social Movement……

 Women and children’s organizations have to

play a special role;

 Journalists and other members of the media

can be very effective in spreading awareness
and mobilizing citizens’ action about
environmental issues.
 Environmental Initiatives

 The environmental programmes in Bangladesh started

in mid 80s;
 Following the UN Stockholm Conference in 1972,
environmental programmes were initiated for the first
time by the Government of Bangladesh with the
creation of the Pollution Control Board in 1974;
 In 1989 the Ministry of Environment and Forestry was
set up along with the Department of Forests and a
newly created Department of Environment under it;
 The former Pollution Control Board was eventually
renamed as the Ministry of Environment and Forests;
 Environmental Initiatives…..

 The year 1990 was declared as the Year of

Environment and the years 1990-91 declared as the
Decade of Environment;

 The effort for the formulation of an Environment

Conservation Strategy began in 1984;

 National Environmental Management Plan: An Action

Plan for Bangladesh (NEMAP, 1991) was prepared
with the objective of addressing vital environmental
concerns.
 Environmental Initiatives….

 Considering the importance of hills to protect ecology

of the country, the Government has issued a
notification in March 2002 banning hill cut;

 In compliance of the Environment Conservation Act

1995 and the Environment Conservation Rule 1997,
the Government now issues environmental clearance
certificate for the new industries or project;

 The Government banned the production and use of

Polythene and its marketing in Dhaka city since
January 2002;
 Environmental Initiatives…

 Bangladesh signed the Biodiversity Convention at Rio

in 1992;

 Under the Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Act, 1974

(amendment Act 1994), three categories of protected
areas have been established as national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries;

 the Government of Bangladesh has declared 16

protected areas constituting about 245 thousands
hectares of forest in different parts of the country;
 Why are environmental laws unpopular?

 Environmental laws are challenged, derided, and

ignored;

 Environmental policy involves government regulations

• Businesses and individuals view laws as overly

restrictive and unresponsive to human needs

 Most environmental problems are long-term processes

• Human behavior is geared toward short-term needs

• News media have short attention spans
• Politicians act out of their own short-term interest.